“And that’s what I bought. But your mom figured you wouldn’t want to cook while you’re up there, so she asked Granny to prepare some of your favorite dishes. And of course, the Geechee goddess hooked you up. So, you’ve got a large container of her famous potato soup, and there’s another container filled with her spicy chili. That’s baked mac and cheese in that little, aluminum, disposable pan.”
“Are you serious?” I cracked a small smile, thinking about my sweet grandmother.
“Yeah, girl. You know Mamie Lee Taylor loves to cook for her grandbabies.”
“That’s our grandma.”
“Yeah, Granny is awesome. And her oldest son is just like her. Uncle Dale cooked you a pot of black-eyed peas with ham hocks and he seasoned some boneless, skinless chicken breasts with his secret rub. That way, all you’ll have to do is throw those suckers in the oven or on the grill outdoors if the weather ain’t too cold.”
Tears pooled in my eyes because of my daddy’s kindness. “I love me some Dale Taylor Junior. He’s the only man I’ll trust with my heart from now on.”
“I know, cuz. I know,” Ravie said on a sigh. “Your mom did her thing too, though.”
“Oh yeah? What did she cook?”
“Girl, Auntie Shavetta covered your sweet tooth. You’ve got a frozen batch of her sugar cookie dough and strawberry cheesecake balls.”
“Damn! How long did y’all think I would be staying up here?”
“We know you’ll be home the day after New Year’s in time to do sound check at Phillips Arena for the Hawks’ halftime show. But we wanted you to have more than enough food to hold you over, cuz.”
“Thanks, Ravie. I appreciate you, girl. Keep your phone close by because I’m going to call you as soon as I get to the cabin and settle in.”
“Okay, Eesh. I’ll talk to you later. Love you.”
I love you too. Bye.”
“Damn it!” I screeched when I almost slipped and fell trying to carry my digital piano up the walkway toward the cabin.
I was tired and frustrated from unpacking and hauling my things from the truck to the cabin by myself. And I was starving too. What the hell had I been thinking when I decided to make this trip to the mountains alone? Suddenly, a sharp pain sliced right through my heart.
Tobias …
Yeah, I’d been so obsessed with hauling ass from the A to put some miles between his lowlife ass and me that I had forgotten about some fine but important details. First of all, I was a tiny chocolate chip that wasn’t used to doing manual labor. And I knew absolutely nothing about mountain living or the great outdoors. So, what on God’s green earth had made me opt for a mountain getaway instead of a secluded beach house on some exotic Caribbean island?
I guess I’d figured my chances at not being recognized by anyone was greater up here in the Blue Ridge Mountains where the residents and visitors alike preferred Carrie Underwood and Kelsea Ballerini over Zyeshia. And that was cooler than cool with me because I didn’t want to see anybody and I damn sure didn’t want to be seen. My plan was to hide out from the world in my cabin, wearing big and comfortable clothes all day long while eating fattening foods and working on some music.
Winded, I placed the Italian leather case that protected my digital piano on the gravelly walkway to give my back a break. Then I took a moment to draw in a big gulp of mountain-fresh air and check out my surroundings. The three-story log cabin was magnificent with a wraparound porch lined with hand-crafted, oak wood rocking chairs. The cluster of sky-scraping Georgia pine trees blocked the sun’s rays from penetrating the many windows gracing the front of the cabin. The sight and sounds all around me took my breath away. God had outdone Himself up here in the Blue Ridge Mountains high above the small town of Ellijay, Georgia. In the midst of nature’s beauty during my brief stay, I had only one special prayer. God, please don’t let a mean ole ugly bear come and eat me up. Amen.
After I released my prayer request up to heaven, I picked up my piano case and trudged toward the stairs that led up to the front porch. Once I reached the bottom step, I just stood there, looking up and wondering how I was going to get the damn thing up the stairs. The longer I stood in place, the higher my anger rose and my frustration grew. I should’ve taken Big Quad up on his offer to follow me up here so he could’ve scouted out the place and moved me in. But, oh no! In my rush to escape the city, Tobias, and the media, I had refused his help like I was Wonder Woman and made the trip alone.
I took a deep breath and growled as I tugged on the handle of the case and cleared the first step. I pulled harder and grunted louder, slowly climbing two more steps as sweat trickled down my back and my brow. I was getting the most strenuous workout ever. Every muscle in my body was being challenged to the max. But even as I struggled up the next few steps, my senses became acutely sensitive. An eerie feeling overcame me, like someone was watching me. My body shivered at the thought of some weird stranger ogling me up here in the isolation of the mountains. I was glad I had obeyed my daddy and brought my Glock 19 Gen5 and plenty of ammo. Shit, he didn’t have to tell me twice either. Nobody had to remind me to bring my Louisville Slugger or my Taser. Those were my constant companions on the road all around the globe even when Big Quad was with me. Feeling secure with my Glock, loyal Louis, and my Taser, I continued with my task.
Once I finally managed to drag the digital piano up the stairs and into the cabin, my adrenaline kicked into high gear. I was able to carry my amp and luggage inside without a problem. I felt a sense of accomplishment after my truck was completely unpacked. I stood on the front porch watching the sun make its slow descent in the distance. It was truly a spectacular sight to behold. But as much as I was enjoying the sunset and the fading chirps from birds flying to their nests for the day, my heart was still broken over love gone wrong and I couldn’t shake the feeling that somebody was watching me.
Chapter Two
Hayden ‘Viper’ Drachenberg Ellis
“Down, boy!” I ordered my cock, but to no avail. It had been standing at full, stubborn attention and pulsating painfully since the instant she appeared in my line of vision. “Uggghhh! Fuck!” Terribly disturbed, I hurried down the stairs, taking two at a time, so I could get a better view from the window in the den. Her sudden appearance was an unwanted distraction, but it was a much-desired fascination at the same time.
Exquisite…captivating…agonizingly arousing…
I approached the window slowly with my heart pounding like a jackhammer in my chest. Every muscle in my anatomy was contracting with tension. And then I saw her . She was even more beautiful than I had initially thought as I’d watched her earlier in awe removing what I believed to be coolers of food from her vehicle. Clearly, it wasn’t an easy task for her at all, and at one point, I’d had to talk myself out of offering her my assistance. It was a good thing I’d held back because I don’t think I could’ve restrained my libido enough to keep my mouth from offering her a hell of a lot more…like the stiff and throbbing member between my thighs.
Now, I was enjoying my window view of this dream of a woman watching the setting sun from her porch. It gave my eyes the perfect opportunity to glide lustfully over every inch of her heavenly body. She had more curves than a rollercoaster, and they were smooth ones too. From the mass of black, unruly curls on top of her head down to her boot-covered feet, she was feminine flawlessness. German-born and partially raised, I was a serious fan of fine chocolate. And that was exactly what her smooth skin reminded me of—the sweet, creamy, cocoa-based treat that my trainer forbade me to touch during active season. Without warning, my taste buds tingled when a vision of me kissing, sucking, and bathing her naked body all over with my tongue as she whispered my name in ecstasy, floated through my psyche. A fresh flow of warm blood rushed to my cock, intensifying my already sensitive, expanding erection.
I was drawn to her dark brown, piercing eyes shaded by long, thick lashes. They called out to me as if she needed me to comfort her, take care of her
even. And her full and pouty lips were perfect for all kinds of erotic pleasures. I wondered how soft and moist they would feel indulging mine. I had a hunch that her kisses would be delicious to my palate as I palmed and kneaded her firm breasts, tormenting the hardened nipples with the pads of my thumbs. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, this woman looked as if she’d give me more intimate gratification than I could handle, but I’d gladly die trying to receive it all—at another time and place in my life. Now was just not the right time.
Connecting with a woman during my controversial suspension from the league had been the furthest thing from my mind until this very moment. I had built this cabin in my father’s birth country and home state two years ago as a refuge from football, also known as soccer to some, my fans, endorsement sponsors, and the limelight. It was my secret hiding place where I came to be alone so I could commune with The Creator and nature in peace. No woman, regardless of how gorgeous she might be, had the fucking right to infringe upon my spiritual retreat. Mating and all that mushy stuff that came along with it was not on my agenda. I didn’t want a woman right now and I sure as hell didn’t need one. But it was going to be dreadfully difficult to keep away from the lovely angel occupying the cabin just below mine, especially since she was the only human being within a ten-mile radius. Yes, we were essentially alone in this area of the mountains.
With that realization, my animalistic nature to prowl, prey, and possess suddenly awakened with an uncontainable vengeance. Testosterone-induced need and greed caused me to break out in a cold sweat as the wind tossed her wild curls back and forth across her pretty face. No matter how forcefully I tried to fight the obsession, Hayden was no match for “the viper” living inside me. Just as defenders on the football field were inadequate and incapable of stopping me from scoring goals, Hayden Ellis was also powerless over the cold-blooded serpent within. It had identified its desired target and had marked her to be his coveted prize. The inner turmoil of man versus ophidian was useless with the ever-predictable conclusion. It was inevitable. The viper would strike.
Just one more mile up , I silently spoke to the vulnerable ligament and cartilage in my left knee as they protested the strain of being forced to function on the steep incline. My early-morning, seven-mile run had been needed in the worst way. After tossing and turning all night long with a bull-headed erection, my body was due for tension release. Plus I wanted to stay active while the league reviewed my appeal on the insane suspension Bundesliga officials had unjustly thrown at me. It was totally bogus.
After ten successful, scandal-free years in the league—the last six of them with the Bayern Munich squad—without so much as a simple aspirin detected in any of my drug screens, they had quickly drawn the wrong conclusion when I tested positive for banned substances. Yes, I had taken the synthetic injections in my knee and popped a few capsules that Sarden, the miserable son of a bitch, had assured me were not only temporary fixes for my nagging, secret injury but also very much legal. Lies ! Every fucking word that scoundrel had ever said to me was a goddamn lie.
My heart rate quadrupled at the mere thought of being expelled from football for life over an honest mistake. I had trusted Sarden, having taken him at his word that the injections and the capsules were legitimate. Shit, we all had. Oh, I could’ve made a major stink of the situation by dropping the names of some of my teammates and a bunch of footballers on other teams in Bundesliga, the German soccer league we all played for. Many of them were Sarden’s clients too. But I wasn’t a fucking snitch nor was I a coward. I didn’t want or need to destroy the lives of other athletes just because my ass was caught in a crack. It wouldn’t do me any good anyway.
That’s why when the owner of Bayern Munich, my championship team, summoned me to appear before him and his staff to inform me that I had been suspended from the game for testing positive for banned substances, I responded with the truth. I’d explained that I had not knowingly ingested or been injected with any illegal drugs. Gladly revealing Sarden’s name, I told them that he was the licensed, certified physician’s assistant who had been treating me for pain and if there was anything in my system that wasn’t supposed to be there, he had administered it to me under the pretense that they were legitimate pain and tissue-mending medications approved by the league.
Of course, neither the owner, nor my coach, or any of the other team officials had believed me, which really made my balls itch. How dare they even entertain the notion that I, Viper Drachenberg, their star striker and most celebrated footballer, was guilty of drugging? What a fucking hoax! It was an insult to my name and my God-given talent as one of Germany’s best soccer stars of all time. But I would soon prove them all wrong. At the end of the investigation, I would be exonerated and reinstated to my team and the sport I’d loved all my life with honor.
I pumped my arms faster and lifted my knees as high as they could go in order to increase my speed as I approached the final incline that led to my cabin. Pain-stricken and saturated with sweat from head to toe, I pushed my body to the limit. Without those damn capsules and injections, I could feel every fucking thing. My slightly-torn left anterior cruciate ligament and the worn cartilage in my knee caused an excruciating burning sensation every time my left foot pounded the uneven earth beneath me. Through pain and exhaustion, I was determined to persevere.
You can make it, Viper! Suck it up, you sissy! The beast within ridiculed me unmercifully. But it only motivated me to move faster just as the two cabins tucked away in this sequestered nook of the mountains came into view. And then I saw her in all her radiant, feminine glory, descending gracefully down the steps from her front porch. Damn, I sure would love to taste her.
“Uggghhh ! Fuck !” I howled when my body hit the dirt and gravel.
Although my elbows and forearms had taken the better brunt of the fall, preventing me from busting my face and further injuring my knee, my ego and pride had suffered even greater blows.
Chapter Three
Natalie
“Oh my God!” I took off in a brisk sprint when I saw a man fall as he ran up the mountain in my direction. “Are you okay, sir? Let me help you. I bent over at the waist and extended my hand.
He looked much too large and heavy for me to actually be helpful in getting him up on his feet. But I had to do something . The guy had taken a pretty bad fall. I bent even lower and gently touched his shoulder.
“No!” He quickly swiped my hand away. “I’m fine.”
I stood up straight and took a giant backwards step. Geesh! What’s up with the attitude?
As if he’d sensed my uneasiness, he rushed to say, “I don’t want to burden you with my weight, ma’am. I would pull you down here with me. I’d hate to do that.” He smiled as he managed to lift his body to balance on one knee while the other leg stuck out awkwardly to the side. “You’re much too pretty to slouch around on the ground with me.”
He quickly hopped to his feet, dusting dirt and blades of dead grass from his body with his huge hands. That’s when I saw the red scrapes spotted with blood on his elbows.
“Oh no, you’ve got strawberries !”
“Eh ?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Um, every time I used to fall and scrape my knees or elbows when I was a little girl, my grandma would call the bloody, red marks strawberries. Well, they weren’t all that red because my skin is deeply sun-kissed, but Granny always called them strawberries anyway.”
“I love your skin color. It’s stunning.” He smiled, and his steel grey eyes sparkled like a pair of silver dollars.
Those damn mesmerizing eyes and his sexy-ass accent were messing with a girl’s head. The combination caused a sneaky quiver to take over my body. I wrapped both arms around my waist and squeezed tight. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
For a few uncomfortable seconds, we just stood in place, staring each other down in silence. I couldn’t lie. I was checking him out. I loved his short haircut. He was damn near bald. His dark hair was t
apered very close to his scalp, which only accentuated the sharp, straight lines in his facial features. His angles were perfect, giving him that rugged, bad-boy edge. And that thin, scruffy patch of hair on his chin turned me the hell on. I wasn’t a huge fan of ink, but I was totally digging that full sleeve of tats on his right arm mixed with his new strawberry and all. His tanned complexion with bronze-like highlights was the perfect background for ink. It was even and not the least bit pale. I found it attractive. Damn, I shivered again .
“Are you cold, sweetheart?”
Caught completely off guard, I blinked a few times and shook my head. “Not really.”
“What name do folks call a gorgeous woman like you?”
“Zy…um…um, I’m Natalie …Natalie Taylor.”
“That’s a nice name. It suits you.” He offered me his hand and an oh-so-seductive half smile. “I’m Hayden Ellis.”
I allowed his enormous hand to swallow mine in a friendly shake. But when a smoldering spark struck my palm and shot through my entire body, I subtly reclaimed my hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Hayden.”
“I didn’t expect to have a neighbor this time of year. It’s usually deserted in this area of the mountain after Thanksgiving. What brings you to Blue Ridge three days before Christmas alone , Natalie?”
“How do you know my husband didn’t come with me?” I raised my chin defiantly.
A deep and throaty chuckle rumbled up from his belly. “If he did, you need to find a good divorce lawyer and get rid of him. No man should allow his wife to unload an entire SUV by herself.”
So, he saw me when I first arrived. I knew somebody was watching me!
“Well, my friends, Louis and Glock, and I came up here for some well-deserved rest and relaxation. We needed a break from the real world. It’s good to get away sometimes and regroup.”
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